Scrapbook Sunday: February 14, 1985

1985 Topps #157 Tug McGraw

25 years ago today, Tug McGraw held a press conference to announce his retirement from baseball. He was 40 at the time of his retirement. Following the 1984 season, Tug was granted free agency after 10 years with the Phillies.

Lahti's Travels: I couldn't find any record of pitcher Jeff Lahti being shipped to the Phillies on December 9, 1984 and then being shipped back a few days later. However, if you check catcher Mike LaValliere's Baseball Reference page, you can see he was shipped back and forth from the Cardinals as part of a "conditional deal." He'd eventually sign with the Cardinals in January 1985 as a free agent, and the Phils would receive pitcher Ralph Citarella from the Cardinals for some reason.

Red Shag: It's hard to see it unless you click and enlarge the image, but there's a few strands of my old red shag carpet next to the box announcing Al Oliver's trade to the Dodgers. I had a red shag carpet in my bedroom on 12th Street when I was growing up, and it occasionally makes a cameo within old 9-pocket baseball card pages or trapped within the pages of my scrapbooks. It's nice to come across small remnants of an old friend every few years.